Emanuel Steward pays back taxes

DETROIT, March 25 (UPI) -- Detroit boxing trainer and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Emanuel Steward owed more than $38,000 in back federal taxes -- until a newspaper called.

"I'm glad you called," Steward, 65, told a Detroit News reporter. "I would never have known anything."

Steward, who has trained and managed more than 30 world champions and is a commentator on HBO's boxing coverage, said he hadn't been aware of the lien to secure the back taxes because he had been in Germany for several months training world heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, who knocked out Eddie Chambers in the 12th round Saturday in Dusseldorf.

The Internal Revenue Service filed a $38,140 lien against Steward Feb. 1 for unpaid 2006 and 2007 income taxes.

"First of all, I have the money to go pay the taxes," said Steward, famous for his collection of Rolls-Royce cars and a mansion. "I feel bad. You go away for a few months, the mail comes in, and nobody's going through the stuff."

After getting the call from the News Tuesday, Steward went to pay the IRS, but found out when he got there that his debt ballooned to $48,000 due to interest and penalties in the seven weeks since the IRS filed the lien.

Steward paid the full amount with a cashier's check Wednesday morning, the newspaper said.